Loveland engineer builds 10-foot-tall Lego crane

Don Smith's creation can lift up to 20 pounds

Don Smith, a mechanical engineer from Johnstown, created a remote-controlled, 10-foot-tall crane with the ability to lift as much as 20 pounds -- and it's made almost entirely from Lego pieces.

"I've been playing with Legos since their inception way back in the early '70s," Smith said.

His Lego creation is modeled after the Lampson Transi-Lift 2300. He chose to recreate a Lampson International crane because "they make the largest mobile cranes on the planet. They are currently engineering one to lift 3,000 tons, which is 6 million pounds.

"It's not an exact duplicate. The only reason it's not is because I'm not using steel, so the load points with plastics are at different locations," Smith said.

Don Smith inspects the boom arm pivot of his remote-controlled, 10-foot-tall crane model made of Legos, during a demonstration June 14 at Home Depot in Loveland.
(James Garcia)

He did a demonstration at the Lampson site in Denver and then another one around three weeks later on Saturday at the Loveland Home Depot. Many Lego and machine enthusiasts, of widely varying ages, stopped to watch in awe as the plastic beast lifted a circular saw.

Smith estimates there are 75,000-100,000 parts in the crane, approximately 12 of which are not Lego products, and no glue was used to hold pieces together. The non-Lego parts include 100 pound, deep-sea fishing line and bolts and other metal pieces at points of high stress and pivoting areas where plastics would not be able to handle.

"Most cranes on the market can lift between 40 and 45 percent of their actual weight. This crane has lifted 50 to 55 percent of its actual weight, so its statistics are actually higher than what actual cranes can do," Smith said. "As a matter of fact, when we were at Lampson doing a demonstration, one of their general managers made the comment that maybe he should start using plastics in his cranes."

The crane is 10.4 inches tall with the boom fully extended. At the Home Depot showing, it lifted an 8.88-pound saw, with an additional 2.5 pounds hanging from the jib line. The model itself weighs 24.8 pounds, with an extra 12 pounds of counterweight in the back compartment.

"The money is a bit hard to put a finger on, because I've been collecting Lego parts all my life. If I had to guess, in today's market, I'd have to say about $2,500," Smith said. "I started engineering it and tracking the parts last September or October."

He began construction at the beginning of 2013 and mostly worked on it during the winter. Assembly was complete by late March or early April.

"My wife says she thinks it's somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 hours, but that incorporates some of the other things I've built and taken apart," Smith said. "It's hard to put a finger on how much time you spend playing. You know, it's a hobby."

Smith grew up on a farm in Illinois, but his father did not want him to become a farmer and encouraged him to attend the University of Illinois and he's been a mechanical engineer ever since. He currently works for Western Summit Constructors out of Denver.

"I've been around cranes all my life. They're just one of the pieces of construction equipment I've always loved," he said.

Toward the end of the demonstration, the jib collapsed due to fatigued plastic. Smith explained he'd taken the crane to four demonstrations so far, one that pushed the crane to its limits with 20 pounds and even lifting a 16-pound carbon bicycle, and that it's hard to tell when the stress limit of plastic has been reached.

"What a bummer. Well, that's the way it goes. I can fix it," Smith said.

He wasn't too worried about the repairs though, saying the replacement pieces would only cost around $2.50 and take a maximum of 20 minutes to fix. He was disappointed however that he had to end the demonstration early, having been enjoying explaining the mechanics to fellow enthusiasts.

"We all know plastics can't take the stress, stretching, and bowing that steel can. But it's a lot of fun."

He plans to sell his crane for $7,500 to a private collector of one-of-a-kind crane models who is also encouraging Smith to build another model. He said his family has been supportive of his hobby.

"Boys and their toys, and women understanding how we play with our toys is one thing. But they have been supportive and as I build things and they see what I'm capable of, they've actually been amazed," Smith said.

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